When He's Quiet
by LibertyBelleAnne
Summary: Ben and Riley run into some trouble when exploring an old mine. For Whumptober 2019 #10 Unconscious


**Disclaimer: I don't own any treasure hunters or treasure for that matter.**

**A/N: For Whumptober 2019 #10 Unconscious**

**When He's Quiet**

He never thought he'd say it but he wished Riley would say something.

The silence was unnatural. He was used to the inane chatter, saying a lot but nothing at all. Sometimes he thought Riley just liked to hear his own voice. Sometimes he liked to hear Riley's voice too. It calmed him. Let him think clearly.

It kept him from panicking. Because if Riley was talking than he could talk his way out of anything. If he was talking then he was alive. He wasn't even sure if Riley was still alive. He was trapped and Riley wasn't talking to him. He didn't know what to do when Riley was silent.

The two of them had come down to explore an old mine that, rumored to be the sight of the original gold rush strike. Ben had found an old map made by a distant cousin in some of his family research. Riley had complained from the beginning. He refused to use his convertible to drive them up to the sight. Ben, whose own car was in the shop, was forced to once more borrow his father's car like a teenager. Riley wouldn't let it go either, teasing him the whole trip up. Unless he was complaining about the smell.

They stepped out of the car into the hot California heat. A small, mostly hidden, weathered mine entrance was the only thing in sight for miles on the long-forgotten dirt road. Ben divided hard hats, flashlights, water, and ropes between him and Riley. The older man leads the way to the partially boarded off but seemingly intact opening. He turned on his light and ducked down enough to gain entrance. The thrill of the treasure hunt seemed to thrum faster in his blood.

"I should have learned my lesson about going down into creepy tunnels with you," Riley bemoaned.

Ben rolled his eyes in the dark before noticing Native American marking on the cave wall. He wanted to document it for his mom to study. His friend had all the technological equipment. He called to his friend to hurry."Riley!"

They'd spent a lot of time documenting all the cave drawings. But other then a few pictures they hadn't found anything else. They'd wandered the tunnels and caverns and found nothing of historical significance to the 49ers, Conquistadors or even any other Native American drawings or artifacts. It seemed this mine had already been looted.

"Why'd we have to come today. I ripped my favorite pants this morning. And no it was not a simple rip in the knee or leg or even in the pocket. Those are cool. You can buy pants, brand new like that. No, I had to rip it in the crouch. There is no coming back from that. All the years put into forming them perfectly to my body, ruined. They were the perfect level of comfort," Riley ranted with a pout, "It's a sign. We're going to die."

"Riley, they were just pants." Ben bit out, growing exasperated with the younger man. They'd been at it for hours and he had nothing to show for it but a growing headache.

The younger man stopped and waved his flashlight around, "Last time I ruined something I loved to wear, it was my shoelaces, right before we blew up!"

"First of all, we didn't blow up. Secondly, ruining clothes is not a sign. Thirdly, there are no such things as signs. And lastly, we are not going to die." Ben held up his fingers as he entered what his friend liked to call his lecture mode. Riley rolled his eyes.

The younger man crossed his arms and leaned against the wall only for it to fall out from under him. He yelped, as he lost his hard hat, before falling into a hidden room.

"Riley!" Ben called in concern before he said it again in awe as his eyes took in the hidden room, "Riley."

"Did we hit the motherload?" Riley asked as he stiffly stood back up rubbing at his sore spots. He studied his accidental find as well.

It seems to be a gateway of sorts," Ben muttered to himself as his hand ran along the marked walls.

"Where does it lead?"

"It seems either great treasure," He pointed to a king on a throne and then to a gruesomely bloody image, "or a painfully slow death."

"Wonderful," Riley spoke sarcastically as he avoided looking at the second picture, "Why do people from the past always make things so complicated?"

"So only the worthy get their treasure," Ben turned a knob. Riley clenched his eyes shut expecting his luck to give him door number two.

Lady Luck seemed to be on Ben's side. A secret passageway opened to a gold-filled room. They walked into it taking in the artifacts and riches with matching grins.

Neither man noticed something come in behind them. Pain flared in Riley's head before he knew nothing more as darkness rose to meet him. Ben quickly turned to catch his falling friend. Only to get a glancing blow from the back of a pistol. He staggered dazedly before his attacker came at him and overpowered him. His wrist was secured in thick ropes and then he was dragged away from his downed friend into a side room.

"Riley?" He slurred trying to make sure his friend was okay. He got only silence. As the man viciously stuffed a grimy bandanna into his mouth to keep him from talking.

The man that attacked them turned him roughly around to face him. Or more accurately his gun. His eyes were menacing and unhinged.

"How'd you find me?" The man waved his gun as he talked, "You can't have my gold!"

The man started to mutter and pace in agitation.

"Nobody will know where it is. Cause he's dead and you're gonna join him." The man stilled and leveled his firearm at the treasure hunter's head.

Ben closed his eyes anticipating the shot. Instead, he heard a soft thud, like something falling. Opening his eyes he was shocked to see his captor sprawled on the ground unconscious. Standing above him was his best friend. He weaving towards him, stumbling over his own feet.

"I'm guessing this is significant," Riley slurred holding up a bloody statue.

Ben ignored it and took in the blood running down the tech genius' face. He tried to catch his partner's unfocused eyes but the dilated pupil refused to meet his. Ben instead held up his bound hands as much as he could. It took a couple of tries. It seemed that Riley was seeing double if not more as he kept reaching for empty air. The ropes bit more tightly into the treasure hunter's wrists as he guided them into his struggling friend's grip. Riley's tongue came out as he concentrated on freeing the knots holding the older man captive. Ben hid any winces as uncoordinated hands pulled at the tight ropes. Eventually, he was free rubbing circulation back into his badly chafed wrists. He pulled the disgusting cloth from his mouth.

"You okay?" He asked.

Riley's face lit up with a loopy smile, "This is cool. Is this how you feel all the time? Saving the day," Ben's hero proceeded to lose consciousness, again.

Riley looked small in the hospital bed. Ben had panicked, not that he'd tell anyone, as soon as his best friend hit the floor of the cave for a second time. He'd rushed to his side and tried to rouse him back to consciousness. When that didn't work he'd grabbed the younger man up in an undignified bridal carry. He'd half hoped Riley would come back to him joking and complaining about it. But he didn't then. Not when they'd exited what could have easily been their tomb. Not even on the car ride, in the burrowed car that indeed did smell weird. Finally his panicked fully blossomed as he ran into the Emergency Room carrying his still unresponsive friend.

He answered the questions of doctors. He answered the questions of police officers. He answered the questions of his father and Abigail. Nobody would answer his one question. If Riley would be alright?

He sat next to his quiet form for two days.

Riley finally opened his eyes, "We didn't die!" His friend then started sarcastically complaining and ranting about almost dying in another historically significant hole. Ben just laughed glad to finally hear the sound of Riley's voice.


End file.
